Rolling bearings for everyone in over 60 industries

From the tiny mini Rolling from a huge rolling bearing measuring several meters to a system solution: the portfolio Schaeffler Ball and roller bearings has solutions for every application - from machine tools, robotics and industrial automation to the food and packaging industry Wind Turbine or mobile work machines, just to name a few. These are getting stronger too digitized. Here we present the innovations:

 

Contents

• Cylindrical roller bearings for heavy industrial gearboxes and construction machinery
• Slewing bearings and condition monitoring for wind power
• With stock processing CO₂-Reduce emissions
• Pushing boundaries with a new bearing design
• Axial angular contact ball bearings with integrated angle measuring system
• Digital service for roller bearings - video statement
• Smart Eco Subsystems for Machine Tools - Interview
• The right type of bearing for seven robot axes
• Archive for rolling bearing innovations
  
  

Cylindrical roller bearings for heavy industrial gearboxes and construction machinery

April 16.04.2024, XNUMX | Schaeffler presents its new cylindrical roller bearings NJ23-ILR series for construction machinery and heavy industrial gearboxes. The rolling bearings are compact and equipped with the high-performance Mpax cage, which gives them a very high dynamic load capacity. With regard to the base bearing type NJ23, the load capacity could be increased by an average of 24%. The service life doubles.

This means that cylindrical roller bearings for heavy-duty applications occupy a comparatively leading position. Even with mixed friction due to insufficient lubrication, they perform in contrast to commercially available bearings of the same basic type, which have disadvantages here. The replacement at the end of the life cycle takes place after DIN-5412 1. The future-proof, reliable and comfortable shaft bearing for heavily loaded shafts also makes a valuable contribution to CO2 reduction.

Growing demands on rolling bearing technology

The requirements for rolling bearings for heavy industrial gearboxes and construction vehicles have recently increased again: Highly loaded bearing points on fast gearbox shafts and gearbox intermediate shafts are in demand ever higher dynamic load ratings. This is also ensured by the strong vibrations in soil compactors and the enormous acceleration forces in vibration machines. Expectations regarding the strength properties of the cage guide are also increasing. At the same time, the available installation space is reduced. Sustainable and CO2 friendlyThe bearings should also be long-lasting and economical.

“Our new cylindrical roller bearing series has been specifically adapted to these increased performance requirements through optimizations in material selection, design, surface quality and heat treatment,” explains Sebastian Pfeuffer, Product Manager Cylindrical Roller Bearings at Schaeffler. “The high-performance Mpax cage with its tried and tested strength properties also stands for far above-average resilience and proves to be extremely robust, among other things, in vibration applications. In order to achieve greater wear protection, rings and rollers can also be provided with a Durotect B coating.”

The cylindrical roller bearings are available with the Bore metrics 16 to 44, from Q4/2024 additional sizes 48 to 60 will be available. The bearings in the size range up to bore number 36 already have the X-Life seal of approval, which stands for longer service life, higher load capacity and particularly compact design.

Slewing bearings and condition monitoring for wind power

06.02.2024/40/XNUMX | Schaeffler has been offering this for around XNUMX years slewing bearings-Solutions for wind turbines. From compact rotor bearings to hydrodynamic plain bearings for Transmission, vibration-causing generator bearings through to blade adjustment and wind tracking – Schaeffler components are condition monitoring capable and efficient.

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Reduce CO2 emissions with warehouse processing

01.08.2023 | | With the Remanufacturing or the systematic reconditioning of rolling bearings, Schaeffler has been offering its customers an important service in the area of ​​sustainable recycling for many years. This service is provided for the regional market by Schaeffler Industrial Remanufacturing Services AG & Co. KG based in Wuppertal.

The treatment saves valuable resources and thus reduces CO₂-Footprint. Schaeffler also acts as a player in the Circular Valley, a national initiative of the city of Wuppertal for environmental and circular economy.

Opportunities, sustainability and cost savings for rolling bearings

The customer has three options:

• Bearings can be sent to Schaeffler for processing to Wuppertal sent.
• Dismantling, processing and assembly site
• Certification of the customer for the independentlye processing

Schaeffler offers comprehensive support in the form of technical advice, delivery of replacement parts as well as auxiliary and operating materials. Reliability and mileage like a new product are guaranteed.

Above all, the raw material processing industry sees a great need to save material and energy. The Remanufacturingservice from Schaeffler is therefore well received. Warehouse preparation significantly reduces the consumption of resources compared to the manufacture of new products. In particular, the production of new inner and outer rings causes by far the largest share of the total CO in the manufacturing process of rolling bearings₂Emissions.

Success story roller mill

The following example from a well-known manufacturer of roller mills for raw material processing shows the size of the savings potential. The customer had its maintenance teams qualified and certified by Schaeffler. The roller mills have four large spherical roller bearings that require periodic replacement. For a refurbished warehouse up to 90% the CO₂-Emissions or 70% of costs can be saved compared to new production.

Pushing boundaries with a new bearing design

14.04.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The bearing technology in articulated arms from lightweight constructionRobotic usually uses crossed roller bearings. However, the design of such bearings has already reached its limits in terms of its tilting rigidity. In order to achieve significant progress in this regard, a new development approach was required. Schaeffler engineers considered this with the needle roller as a promising alternative and finally the double-row Angular needle bearing XZU

Double row angular contact needle bearing XZU

The advantages of this new needle roller bearing are manifold. On the one hand, the roller bearing has a higher tilting rigidity than conventional crossed roller bearings. In addition, it shows a higher Tragfähigkeit and stiffness in the radial and axial directions.

The internal structure of the rolling bearings is designed in such a way that they have two separate raceways and thus have a support spacing that increases the tilting rigidity. Compared to crossed roller bearings, XZU bearings have an approx 30% higher tilting rigidity on. Another advance over crossed roller bearings is that their tribological behavior is more favorable.

By using cages, the rolling elements are separated from each other, resulting in a Reduction of frictional resistance by up to 20% leads and provides more space for lubricant. The "squeeze effect" known from crossed roller bearings (squeezing lubricant out of the raceway of the roller bearing, especially when the direction of rotation changes) is effectively prevented thanks to the cage-guided rolling elements. This avoids leaks and contamination from escaping lubricant.

Angular needle bearing 1:1 interchangeable with cross roller bearing

In order to make the conversion to the new bearing design as efficient and cost-effective as possible for manufacturers, the XZU angular contact needle roller bearings offer the same external geometry like the cross roller bearings and can therefore be exchanged without any modification. This not only saves the manufacturers time and money, but also enables the new rolling bearing to be seamlessly integrated into the existing production line.

Who Invented the First Cage Guided Needle Roller Bearing?

The cage-guided needle bearing is an important innovation in the history of the automotive and industrial supplier. The invention of this rolling bearing goes back to Dr.-Ing. Eh Georg Schaeffler, which started series production for the over 70 years ago Automotive industry started. Since then, Schaeffler has sold over 100 billion needle roller bearings. This innovation has revolutionized vehicle and industrial technology. The caged needle bearing allows for higher load carrying capacity and rigidity, resulting in improved performance and efficiency. The rolling bearing can withstand radial and axial loads and is suitable for high-speed applications and under extreme conditions.

Angular needle bearing and precision gear unit for cobot joints

14.04.2023/2020/XNUMX | Lightweight robots (LBRs) and collaborative robots (cobots) have to work highly dynamically and precisely in modern production. With the development of the angular needle bearing, XNUMX also became the new Precision gear unit RTWH RT1 and RT2 developed. This has opened up new opportunities in the rapidly growing market segment. 

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How does an angular needle bearing work?

An angular needle bearing builds on the concept of needle roller on, whereby angular needle bearings are designed in two rows and are guided by an inner and outer ring. The roller bearings are designed in such a way that the needles are arranged at a certain angle. As a result, the rolling elements can absorb higher forces and transmit a higher torque than conventional needle roller bearings.

Schaeffler is exhibiting at the Automatica 2023.

Axial angular contact ball bearings with integrated angle measuring system

13.02.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX | The axial angular contact ball bearing of the ZKLDF series (picture above) has now been equipped with an optionally integrated, incremental angle measuring system equipped with the designation ZKLDFMI. Rolling bearings of the ZKLDF type are suitable for very high speeds, have a low breakaway torque and a low level of friction. The rolling bearings are therefore preferred in high-speed machine tools for the Plastic-, light metal and wood processing. Highly dynamic rotary indexing tables in industrial automation are also a preferred application. The integration of the angle measuring system in the ball bearing was a logical step, because ZKLDF roller bearings in rotary axes are almost always combined with direct drives. An inductive Amosin angle measuring system is used.

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About plain bearings that are fun to use

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The Measuring standard of the Amosin angle measuring system is attached to the inner ring of the roller bearing, which is ground with high precision and therefore runs exactly true. This position gives users the greatest possible measurement accuracy. The Measuring head is bolted to the stationary roller bearing outer ring. The inductive measuring system is particularly insensitive to lubricants and magnetic fields. The maximum speed of the ZKLDF ball bearing can be fully utilized due to the high output frequency of the incremental measuring head. The measuring system does not affect the center passage. Thus, all constructive freedoms for the media implementation are retained.

The incremental angle measuring system has distance-coded reference marks. When turning on the steering a reference search run only has to be run until the two reference marks are passed. Then the absolute angular position is known and processing can start.

Digital service for roller bearings - trade fair statement

26.11.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX | Trade fair statement by Sebastian Mergler, Head of Product Management SaaS & Digital Services, Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Schweinfurt Mr. Mergler presents two brand new digital services for condition monitoring of rolling bearings. The interview was given on November 26, 2019 at the SPS in Nuremberg. 

Smart Eco Subsystems for Machine Tools - Interview

09.07.2019 | At Schaeffler's trade press workshop in the run-up to EMO 2019, a lot revolved around smart products for predictive maintenance and condition monitoring. In our interview with Ralf Moseberg, Vice President Industrial Automation, Schaeffler Technologies & Co. KG, Homburg/Saar, we asked him the following questions:

• How is it developing? Market machine tools in general and globally from a Schaeffler point of view?
• Where does the Machine Tools business unit at Schaeffler stand against this background?
• What is the focus of Schaeffler's presentation on EMO 2019?
• Which product highlights do you have in store for EMO?

 

The right type of bearing for seven robot axes

30.06.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX | For the resilience, dynamics and precision of Industrial robotsn play them Articulated arm bearings a very crucial role. Schaeffler offers solutions for each of the six axes with their specific requirements. The lower pivot bearing of axes 1 and 2 of a robot absorbs the entire weight and the largest tilting moments.

To make matters worse, the tilting in storage multiplies up to the TCP tool center point. Very tilt-resistant, two-row axial are ideal for this Angular contact ball bearings ZKLDF by INA from the machine tool sector at. Their massive bearing rings are bolted to the surrounding construction.

Axes 3 and 4 still carry a significant portion of the Robotic arm, however, the installation space in the joint is already severely restricted. High load capacity and rigidity with a small rolling bearing cross section are therefore required.

The INA crossed roller bearings of the XSU series (picture above) have been optimized specifically to meet increasing customer requirements. A particularly high degree of filling with cylindrical rollers ensures greater rigidity.

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Linear unit with spindle guide as standard and special solution

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Double-row rolling bearings, especially in an O arrangement, offer great potential for very tilt-resistant bearings due to the large support spacing and small axial installation space. FAG tapered roller bearings of the SGL series also have the very stiff roller contact. The roller bearing specialist recommends a combination of both, especially for axes 5 and 6 with the small articulated arm diameters. Due to the small cross-section and narrow diameter graduation, SGL rolling bearings can be integrated very flexibly into the available space between the robot gearbox and the housing.

In order to expand the working range of the industrial robots or to be able to move them over longer distances, a so-called 7th axis used: The robots move back and forth on a slide of the linear axis between the individual machine tools or stations and the magazines and pallet systems.

The six-row guide system is particularly suitable here INA profile rail guide "Kuse X-life" (picture right). It offers a particularly long nominal service life, reduced lubricant requirements and exceptionally low stroke pulsation. This six-row profile rail guide has a particularly high load-bearing capacity in the direction of pressure and is therefore predestined in combination with direct drives.

In order to maximize the availability of the entire production cell with X machine tools, there are options for the profile rail guides Durasense with integrated sensors. This enables automated lubrication or monitoring of the lubrication status of the carriages. The risk of unplanned downtime due to wear and lubrication failure is significantly reduced.

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Geiger Handling relies on the Gimatic gripper portfolio

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An expensive robot does not always have to be used to handle workpieces and tools. This task is still carried out very often Cartesian axis systems, which are made up of combinable linear modules. Schaeffler offers a very extensive range of INA linear modules and driven linear units in this area. Linear modules with special functions expand the range of applications. For example, "Mtkuse" telescopic modules enable transfer to areas behind protective walls or to separate work rooms.

Archive for rolling bearing innovations

• Machine tool 4.0 has 60 sensor-monitored storage locations
• Rotary table bearings with high speeds for machine tools
• Spindle bearing made of Vacrodur with a service life that is 20 times longer
• Digitized into the machine tool - interview
• Split spherical roller bearings for quick and easy installation
• Plummer block housing increases bearing life by 50 percent
• Taper roller bearing X-life combines less friction with higher performance
• Less friction and longer service life for rolling bearings
  
  

Machine tool 4.0 has 60 sensor-monitored storage locations

28.08.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX | Schaeffler, in cooperation with the machine tool manufacturer dmg mori developed the machine tool 4.0 and its roller bearings and linear guideen equipped with sensors in more than 60 places. The film shows the advantages for the machine operator and how the daily production process becomes more efficient.

Rotary table bearings with high speeds for machine tools

25.10.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX | With a complete overhaul of the INA rotary table bearing series YRTC, Schaeffler has achieved even higher speeds and maximum tilting rigidity. With the YRTC in X-life quality, operators of machine tools get more cutting performance with greater precision at the same time.

As a result of the complete redesign, the previous range of services in terms of rigidity and speeds is once again significantly exceeded. The new design of the YRTC bearings offers 50% reduced and very smooth Frictional torque. This allowed the Limit speeds increase by up to 80% in some cases. At the same time they could Tilting stiffness can be increased by up to 20%. With these performance features, the series now also receives the X-life premium seal.

Technical features of the new YRTC roller bearings for high loads are plastic cage segments with a special grease reservoir, constructively optimized bearing rings, and a optimized rolling element geometry. In addition, the roller bearings have very good axial and concentricity accuracies. Bearing-integrated units are also optionally available for this series measuring systems available. The YRTC rolling bearings are particularly suitable for use in hobbing machines and in positioning and swiveling axes with high loads for ultra-precision machining.

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Calculate fit calculator easily online

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With the three series YRTC, YRTS and ZKLDF, the manufacturer has one exceptionally large selection on rotary table bearings for preferred machining processes, axis types, sizes, loads and speed ranges. In addition to the YRTC, there is also the choice of a YRTS rotary table bearing (S=Speed) for applications with very high speeds and increased requirements for tilting rigidity. These camps come z. B. in ultra-precise milling machines, grinding machines and gear cutting machines and in rotary tables with very high speeds. The double-row INA axial angular contact ball bearings of the ZKLDF series are available for the highest speed requirements. Their preferred areas of application include bearings with a high duty cycle in rotary tables with a main spindle function. All series can be equipped with integrated angle measuring systems.

Spindle bearing made of Vacrodur with a service life that is 20 times longer

31.07.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX | Schaeffler has with Vacrodur a roller bearing material developed with the manufacturer of Machine Tools the resilience of the Spindles can significantly increase in terms of dynamic load capacity. The service life can also be significantly extended even under the most difficult conditions.

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Digitized into the machine tool - interview

05.07.2017 | Schaeffler will be exhibiting at the EMO in September. In our interview with Marcus Eisenhuth, Head of Industry Europe Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG and Ralf Moseberg, Head of Automation/Linear Technology Division, Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Homburg/Saar, talk about the new products to be expected. We asked the following questions at the pre-press conference in Vienna:

• German machine tool construction is increasingly going back in favor of China: what does that mean for Schaeffler?
• Schaeffler digitizes: What exactly does that look like?
• What does digitalization mean for your machine tool area?
• What products will you issue to the EMO?

Split spherical roller bearings for quick and easy installation

12.07.2013/XNUMX/XNUMX | Split FAG spherical roller bearings from Schaeffler simplify and accelerate the bearing change especially in places that are difficult to access, such as on a multi-supported shaft. In the case of a split roller bearing, the inner ring, outer ring and cage with roller and cage assembly are divided into halves and clamped together with screws. By using the divided variant, many work steps during installation and removal are eliminated.

Thanks to coordinated dimensions, the split spherical roller bearing can be accommodated in the same space as the undivided including clamping sleeve used become. Application examples include belt drives, paper machines, ships, conveyor systems, converters, rolling mills and ventilation systems.

In many applications, the roller bearing is installed on the shaft in such a complex way that all adjacent components have to be removed to replace it. This results in long downtimes and costly ancillary work, such as the removal of gears, Couplings or drives. By using the split variant a large part of the work steps is omitted and the additional costs. Installation and removal can be carried out much faster and easier, especially in storage areas that are difficult to access. There are split spherical roller bearings for shafts from 55 to 630 mm in diameter. In most cases, the outer diameter, outer ring width and diameter of the shaft seat match the dimensions of the standard spherical roller bearing including the adapter sleeve and can be easily replaced.

Plummer block housing increases bearing life by 50 percent

17.01.2013/50/XNUMX | The FAG plummer block housing SNS from Schaeffler increases the service life of the installed spherical roller bearings by up to XNUMX% compared to conventional plummer block housings. This is made possible by the new case design, which ensures an optimized distribution of the load in the rolling bearing. Further design optimizations make assembly and disassembly easier, improve condition monitoring and handling, and thus enable a particularly flexible and economical use of the housing and roller bearing with significantly reduced life cycle costs.

The new FAG plummer block housing is 1: 1 interchangeable with numerous conventional housing series. The patented design of the plummer block housing, the rolling bearing load, which is transferred from the rolling elements via the outer ring directly to the housing support, is distributed over two symmetrically located bearing surfaces.

This leads to a positive change in the load distribution in the rolling bearing and thus to less stress on the bearing overall. Other performance features, such as breaking loads, are not affected. The Lifespan of the bearing is increased by up to 50%, since the distribution of the individual loads on the rolling elements has a significant influence on the achievable fatigue life of the rolling bearing.

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Pillow block bearings made of stainless steel for food and pharmaceutical use

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A prerequisite for the optimized design was the consideration of the roller bearing and housing as a complete system. This made it possible to take into account the influence of the housing design on the stress in the roller bearing and to optimize it accordingly. Numerous other construction details of the new housing design facilitate Lubrication, Assembly and condition monitoring and thus contribute to a significantly longer service life and lower life cycle costs.

Taper roller bearing X-life combines less friction with higher performance

07.04.2011 | Schaeffler Group Industrial now offers this with the new FAG tapered roller bearing series in X-life quality world's widest range of products on high-performance tapered roller bearings. This includes sizes that were previously not available on the market in premium quality. Compared to commercially available standard products, these roller bearings achieve a frictional torque that is up to 75% lower.

The dynamic load rating, i.e. the load capacity of the roller bearing, was increased by 20% and thus the nominal life increased by up to 70%. The tapered roller bearings thus ensure a significant increase in energy efficiency. In addition, roller bearings can be used to increase performance and thus for downsizing, which brings further advantages in terms of installation space, weight and friction. In addition, with a view to the total cost of ownership (TCO), the bearings contribute significantly to less effort and lower costs in operation, maintenance and repair.

The further development of this type of roller bearing focused on maximum reliability and minimal friction in applications that place high demands on stress and accuracy. In particular, the manufacturers of Hydraulic Systemaggregates or gears (pinion bearings) can thus overcome previous performance limits and at the same time significantly improve operational reliability. 

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Smallest, light wire race bearing with profiled raceways

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Typical applications for the X-life bearings are Wind powerInvestments, agricultural and construction machinery or stationary machines. The X-life rolling bearings are currently available with an outer diameter of up to 635 mm. From the end of 2011, the roller bearing sizes from 1600 mm will follow. This range of sizes covers the majority of the range of applications. In particular, roller bearing types for wind power gearboxes and wind power rotor bearings are included in this portfolio.

Less friction and longer service life for rolling bearings

01.03.2010 | Modern coating technology is used in the Schaeffler Group to optimize the functionality of surfaces of highly stressed rolling bearings and precision components. With one of your own Surface Technology The development engineers have access to facilities and capacities that open up new possibilities, especially in the combination of different processes and materials. "Corrotect", "Durotect", "Triondur" and "Isotect" are names that were created here.

Coatings are the focus of surface technology at the Schaeffler Group Avoidance or reduction of corrosion and fretting corrosion, wear, friction, slippage and electrical continuity in the rolling bearings. They are offered under the brand names "Corrotect", "Durotect", "Triondur" and "Isotect". Coatings are applied to the surfaces of components in a wide variety of ways without thermo-chemical diffusion occurring between the layer and the base material.

Crucial for this is the holistic viewg the system requirements for the rolling bearing used and the early integration of the surface as a constructive element in the development and product creation process. The surface technology center enables both development work on a laboratory scale and safe transfer to the production process of large-scale production. Tribological and wear-resistant coating systems can be developed and implemented using the PVD/PACVD development system.

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Housing bearing replacement saves significant TCO

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The coating material for the rolling bearings is either in solid form (PVD - physical vapor deposition) or in gaseous form (PACVD - plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition) and is vacuum secluded. In contrast to conventional coating methods, this one environmentally friendly vacuum process unique compositions of different materials and layers can be realized.

Triondur C coating especially for rolling bearings

An example of this is the Triondur C coating. This carbon-based, diamond-like layering system offers maximum protection with minimum friction against abrasive and adhesive wear and was specially developed for roller bearing applications. The dry friction against steel is reduced by up to 80%.

If only one friction partner is coated, increases the service life of the entire tribological system. Due to the very ductile layer structure, Triondur C can withstand high surface pressures, such as those that occur in roller bearings. Typical applications are barrel rollers in spherical roller bearings for paper calenders, barrel rollers in axial roller bearings for hydraulic motors or rollers with a coated outer diameter for the printing industry.

In addition, there is one electroplating Development plant is available, which serves in particular to develop environmentally friendly and thus customer and future-oriented anti-corrosion coatings. Among other things, the focus is on coatings that are free of hexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) and thus meet the strict requirements of the new EU end-of-life vehicle regulation. Both development systems also enable the cost and function-oriented combination of the various deposition processes and coating systems.

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